JPH0968848A - Electrophotographic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate work especially at the time of cleaning and exchanging only an electrifier at an early stage by enabling the electrifier to be freely attachable/detachable in the direction where a process cartridge including the electrifier is attached/detached to/from a device main body. SOLUTION: In the process cartridge K constituted integrally of a photoreceptor, the electrifier 16 and a cleaner, two guides 31 are provided in parallel with both sides of the electrifier 16 along the surface of the photoreceptor between the front side plate 32 and rear side plate of a cartridge case 24. Moreover, a port 33 for inserting the electrifier 16 is provided in the front side plate 32 and a guiding mouth part 34 projecting outward from the edge of the port 33 and opened upward is provided as well. The electrifier 16 is guided by the guiding mouth part 34 to be inserted into he port 33, and the frame parts 37 of the side plate parts 36 and the projecting parts 41 of an end block 40 are placed on the guides 31 to attach the cartridge K. At the time of cleaning and exchanging only the electrifier 16, only it is pulled out from the cartridge K in the state where the cartridge K is attached to the device main body.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus for recording on a sheet by an electrophotographic system such as a printer, a copying machine and a facsimile using a laser.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an electrophotographic apparatus, a process cartridge including some of the process means such as a charging device, a developing device, a transfer device and a cleaning device is formed together with a photosensitive member or separately from the photosensitive member. The whole process cartridge is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus to simplify the maintenance and inspection of the main body of the apparatus.

By the way, such process cartridges often include a charger.

However, the life of the charging device varies greatly depending on the usage environment. For example, in a dusty installation location, the charging wire is easily contaminated, and when it becomes extremely large, uneven discharge may occur, and in particular, only the charger may require early cleaning or replacement.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11, a process cartridge 1 is conventionally used in, for example, a laser copying machine.
There is a device which is detachably attached to an apparatus main body (not shown) in the arrow A direction, and the charger 2 is detachably attached to the process cartridge 1 in the arrow B direction orthogonal to the attaching and detaching direction.

When the charger 2 becomes dirty,
Remove the process cartridge 1 from the device body,
After that, the charger 2 is removed from the process cartridge 1, and the charger 2 is cleaned or replaced. Then, the charger 2 was attached to the process cartridge 1, and the process cartridge 1 was attached to the apparatus main body.

[0007]

However, in such a conventional electrophotographic apparatus, the process cartridge 1 is once removed from the apparatus main body, especially when only the charger 2 needs to be cleaned or replaced early. Since the charger 2 is removed from the process cartridge 1, it is troublesome to clean and replace the charger 2 twice.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrophotographic apparatus including a process cartridge including a charger,
Especially, when it is necessary to clean or replace only the charging device early, it is to facilitate the cleaning or replacement of the charging device.

[0009]

Therefore, in the electrophotographic apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the process cartridge K is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 29 as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 below. In this direction, the charger 16 can be freely taken out and attached to the process cartridge K.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the electrophotographic apparatus according to the first aspect, for example, as in the following embodiments shown in FIGS.
The charging wire 43 of the charger 16 when taken out along 1
Cleaning means 47 for cleaning the process cartridge K
It is prepared for.

The invention described in claim 3 is the same as that of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 below.
In the electrophotographic apparatus according to item 1, the process cartridge K is provided with a guide 31 for guiding the charger 16.
The guide 31 guides the charger 16 along the photoconductor 11 to a position away from the position close to the surface of the photoconductor 11 at the initial stage, and at the final stage at the time of mounting the charger 16. It is characterized by being guided to the position.

In the present invention, the process cartridge K is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body 29 during normal maintenance. On the other hand, especially when only the charger 16 needs to be cleaned or replaced early, the charger 16 alone is taken out and attached to the process cartridge K while the process cartridge K is attached to the apparatus main body 29.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the invention described in claim 1 and shows a schematic configuration around a photoconductor of the laser copying machine.

Reference numeral 11 in the drawing denotes a belt-shaped photosensitive member, which is a driving roller 12, driven rollers 13 and 14, and a tension roller.
It will be passed between LA 15. Around the photoconductor 11, a charging device 16, a developing device 17, a transfer device 18, and a cleaning device 19 are arranged in a driving direction indicated by an arrow C in the figure.

Then, at the time of recording, the paper P is sent out from a paper feed cassette (not shown), and is conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11 at a timing by a pair of registration rollers.

The photosensitive member 11 is rotationally driven in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow C, and at that time, the surface thereof is uniformly charged by the charger 16, and the surface is irradiated with laser light from the optical writing device to be exposed. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the body 11.

Subsequently, when passing through the position of the developing device 17, the electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor 11 is visualized by toner.

Then, this visible image is transferred by the transfer device 18 onto the upper surface of the paper P conveyed to the lower side of the photoconductor 11. After the transfer, the charge is removed and the paper P is separated from the photoconductor 11.

After the separation, the sheet P is conveyed to a fixing device (not shown), where the transferred image is fixed and then discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body.

On the other hand, after the image transfer, the photoconductor 11 removes the residual toner by the cleaning blade 20 of the cleaning device 19.
After removing by, the electricity is removed and statically initialized to prepare for the next use.

In the illustrated laser copying machine, the process cartridge K is formed by integrating the photoconductor 11, the charging device 16 and the cleaning device 19 described above.

The cartridge case 24 of the process cartridge K is provided with window holes 26 and 27 on the side facing the developing device 17, the transfer device 18, etc., respectively, and the photoconductor 11, the drive roller 12, and the driven roller are provided inside. -The rollers 13 and 14 and the tension roller 15 are rotatably provided.

Now, the above-mentioned process cartridge K
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the guide 31 of the charger 16 is provided integrally with the cartridge case 24.

The guide 31 is in the form of two rails, and is provided between the front side plate 32 and the rear side plate (not shown) of the cartridge case 24 along the surface of the photoconductor 11 in parallel to both sides of the charger 16.

The front side plate 32 is provided with an insertion port 33 for the charger 16, and a guide port portion 34 which projects outward from the edge of the insertion port 33 and is open upward.

On the other hand, the charger 16 is provided with a container case 35 as shown in the figure. The container case 35 has a box shape that is horizontally long in the width direction of the photoconductor 11, and has upper and lower sides opened, a grid plate 39 is provided on the lower open surface, and upper and lower edges of the side plate portions 36 are respectively formed. The flange portions 37 and 38 are formed by bending outward and end blocks 40 are attached to both ends in the length direction. One end block 4
As shown in FIG. 0, the protrusions 41 and 42 are provided on the upper and lower sides so as to project outward from both side surfaces. Then, the charging wire 43 is stretched between the end block 40 and an end block (not shown).

Then, such a charger 16 is inserted into the guide opening 34 from the direction of the arrow D in FIG. 3, and guided by the insertion opening 33, and at the same time, the flange 37 of the side plate 36 and the end block 40 are guided. The convex portion 41 is mounted on the guide 31 and pushed in to be attached to the process cartridge K.

In this way, the process cartridge K is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus, and the charger 16 is detachably attached to the process cartridge K in the inserting / removing direction of the process cartridge K.

However, during normal maintenance, as shown in FIG. 2, the front cover 30 of the apparatus main body 29 is opened,
The process cartridge K is pulled out from the apparatus main body 29 in the front direction shown by the arrow. As shown, the developing device 1
Similarly, 7 is also pulled out from the apparatus main body 29 in the front direction indicated by the arrow.

On the other hand, when the charging wire 43 is contaminated, especially when only the charger 16 needs to be cleaned or replaced earlier, as shown in FIG. 4, the process cartridge K is still attached to the apparatus main body 29. In the arrow E direction in which the process cartridge K is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 20, only the charger 16 is extracted from the process cartridge K, and the charger 16 is cleaned or replaced.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the process cartridge K includes the photoconductor 11 and the charger 1.
The example in which 6 and the cleaning device 19 are integrally formed is shown. However, the process cartridge K is not limited to this, and the process cartridge K includes, for example, the charger 16 although not shown.
It may be configured by other combinations including.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the charger 16 can be inserted into and removed from the process cartridge K in the direction in which the process cartridge K is inserted into and removed from the apparatus main body 29. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and although not shown, the charger 16 is taken out from the process cartridge K in a direction in which the upper cover of the device body 29 is opened and the process cartridge K is attached to and detached from the device body 29. It may be configured to be attachable.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the charger 16 is extracted from the process cartridge K and then the charger 16 is cleaned by an appropriate means. However, in the invention described in claim 2, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the process cartridge K is provided with a cleaning means 47 for cleaning the charging wire 43 when the charger 16 is pulled out.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the charger 16 is provided with laterally elongated cut-and-raised pieces 45 on both side plate portions 36 and cutout holes 46. Those cut and raised pieces 45
Is bent and bent outward on the left front side in the figure and cut and raised outward.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cleaning means 47 is provided with a vertical plate-like portion 48, and a mounting hole 50 is provided at the center of the upper portion thereof. On one side of the plate-shaped portion 48,
Bosses 51 are provided on both sides of the mounting hole 50 so as to project outward. On the other hand, on the other surface side of the plate-like portion 48, a substantially upwardly U-shaped frame portion 55 is provided, and a pair of pad holders 49 are provided so as to extend downward from the frame portion 55 with their facing positions displaced. The pad holders 49 each have a narrow plate shape, the lower portion is bent obliquely inward, the protrusion 53 is provided outward from the outer surface of the lower portion, and the cleaning pad 54 is attached to the inner surface of the lower portion.

When mounting the cleaning means 47, as shown in FIG. 6, the cleaning means 47 is inserted between the side plate portions 36 of the container case 35 in the direction of arrow F. Then, the collar portion 37 of the side plate portion 36
When the projection 53 hits against, and is further pushed in, the projection 53 escapes inward and is disengaged from the flange 37, and the pad holder 49 moves inward. Then, when the projection 53 reaches the cutout hole 60, the projection 53 enters the cutout hole 60 by the restoring force of the pad holder 49, and the state shown in FIG. 7 is obtained. Then, the boss 51 is inserted into the mounting hole 56 of the front side plate 32 from the direction of arrow G in FIG. 5, the through hole 57 of the front side plate 32 and the mounting hole 50 are aligned, and the screw 58 is mounted and fixed from there in the direction of arrow H. To do.

However, when the charging wire 43 is contaminated, especially when only the charger 16 needs to be cleaned early, the charger 16 is pulled out from the process cartridge K. Then, the cut-and-raised piece 45 comes into contact with the projection 53, the projection 53 is gradually pushed inward by the cut-and-raised piece 45, the pad holder 49 moves inward, and the charging wire 43 is sandwiched by the cleaning pad 54. The state shown in FIG. Then, when the charger 16 is pulled out, the charging wire 43 is rubbed with the cleaning pad 54 to be cleaned. After the cleaning, when the charger 16 is pushed into the process cartridge K again, the cut-and-raised pieces 45 eventually come into contact with the protrusions 53, and the cut-and-raised pieces 45.
The push holder 53 is gradually released by pressing the
9 is opened, and the state shown in FIG. 7 is reached again at the final stage of pushing.

In the above-described embodiment, the cleaning means 47 has a structure in which the pad holder 49 is moved inward so that the charging wire 43 is sandwiched between the cleaning pads 54 when the charger 16 is extracted. However, the cleaning means 47 is not limited to this, but when the charger 16 is taken out, the cleaning means 47 moves the charging wire 43 to the cleaning pad 54 by manually operating a lever (not shown) to move the pad holder 49 inward. It may be sandwiched between.

By the way, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a guide 31 for guiding the charger 16 is provided in the process cartridge K, and when the charger 31 is taken out and attached, the guide 31 is used from the initial stage to the final stage. Until then, the charger 16 was guided in a state where it was brought close to the surface of the photoreceptor 11. However, in the invention described in claim 3, as shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, when the charger 31 is taken out, the guide 31 is guided to a position away from the position close to the surface of the photoconductor 11 in the initial stage. However, at the final stage of installation, the guide is provided from a distant position to a close position.

The guide 31 in FIG. 9 has a low-height portion 61 on the back side on the right side of the drawing, and has a high-height portion 62 in other portions. On the other hand, in the charger 16, the convex portion 41 of the end block 40 is provided lower than the flange portion 37 of the side plate portion 36 by the level difference of the guide 31.

Then, in the state where the charger 16 is attached to the process cartridge K, as shown in the drawing, the convex portion 41 of the end block 40 is placed on the lower portion 61, and the side plate portion 36.
The collar portion 37 is placed on the high portion 62 and the charger 16 is held at a position close to the surface of the photoconductor 11.

When the charging wire 43 is contaminated, especially when only the charger 16 needs to be cleaned early, if the charger 16 is pulled out in the direction of arrow J in FIG. 9, as shown in FIG. The convex portion 41 of the end block 40 moves to the high portion 62 of the guide 31 and guides the charger 16 from the position close to the surface of the photoconductor 11 to the position away from the surface in the initial stage. When the charger 16 that has been taken out is cleaned and then the charger 16 is pushed in, conversely to the above, the convex portion 41 of the end block 40 moves to the lower portion 61 of the guide 31, and at the final stage the charger 16 Is guided from a position far from the surface of the photoconductor 11 to a position close thereto. As a result, when the charger 16 is inserted or removed,
It is possible to prevent the surface from being damaged.

[0043]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, particularly when only the charging device needs to be cleaned or replaced early, the process cartridge is still attached to the main body of the apparatus. Since only the charger is taken out of the process cartridge, the charger can be easily cleaned and replaced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when only the charging device is taken out, the charging wire can be taken out along with the photoconductor and the charging wire can be cleaned at the same time by the cleaning means, so that the charging device can be cleaned more easily. Can be done.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when only the charger is taken out, in the initial stage of taking out the charger along the photoconductor, it can be guided to a position away from the position close to the surface of the photoconductor. Since it guides and guides from the distant position to the approached position by the guide at the final stage of mounting, it is possible to prevent the surface of the photoconductor from being damaged when the charger is taken out and mounted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a peripheral portion of a process cartridge of the laser copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a process cartridge and a developing device are pulled out from the apparatus main body during the normal maintenance.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a charger is attached to the process cartridge.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which only the charger is extracted.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which cleaning means is attached to a process cartridge provided in the laser copying machine according to the embodiment of the invention as set forth in claim 2;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the cleaning unit and the charger.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing a mounting state of the cleaning means.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a cleaning state of the cleaning means.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the guide of the process cartridge provided in the laser copying machine according to the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in the middle of inserting and removing the charger with respect to the process cartridge.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a procedure of taking out a charger in a process cartridge provided in a conventional electrophotographic apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 K process cartridge 11 photoconductor 16 charger 29 device main body 31 guide 43 charging wire

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An electrophotographic apparatus in which a charger can be freely taken out and attached to a process cartridge in a direction in which the process cartridge is attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process cartridge is provided with cleaning means for cleaning the charging wire of the charger when the charger is taken out along the photoconductor. 3. The process cartridge is provided with a guide for guiding the charger, and when the charger is taken out along the photoconductor, the guide is moved to a position away from a position close to the photoconductor surface in an initial stage. 2. The electrophotographic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electrophotographic apparatus guides from a distant position to a close position at the final stage when mounting.